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19 January, 2026  // In 2025, the smartphone market in Russia contracted by 18%; 24.2M devices (588B rubles) were sold. In 2024, 29.8M (720B rubles). The leaders in units are Redmi (18%), Samsung (12%), Tecno (11%), Realme (11%). In terms of sales value, the top sellers are Apple (27%), Samsung (21%), Redmi (11%), Tecno (7%). The median price is 25,309 rubles (320 USD).

24 December, 2025  // In 2026, the per capita subsistence minimum in Russia will be 18,939 rubles (237 USD) per month (+6.8% compared to 2025), 20,644 - the working-age population, 16,288 - pensioners, 18,371 - children. Regions set their own subsistence minimums. It is the lowest total cost of food, goods, and services necessary for a person's life and health. In 2026, the minimum wage in Russia will be 27,093 rubles.

15 December, 2025  // From Jan to Nov 2025, alcohol sales in Russia (excluding beer, cider, perry, and mead) decreased by 9.8% year-on-year, amounting to 181.9M decaliters (12.5 liters per person). Vodka sales decreased from 68.2 to 66.3M (-3.5%). The low-alcohol beverage segment recorded a sharp decline: from 15.8 to 1.5M (-87.6%). Alcohol production volume fell by 6.7% to 158.5M.

1 December, 2025  // Until September 14, 2026, Chinese citizens have the right to enter Russia and stay for up to 30 days on a guest or business visit without a visa. In early September, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the introduction of a 30-day visa-free regime for Russian citizens. These measures are currently being implemented on a one-year trial basis.

13 November, 2025  // In Jan-Oct 2025, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance, the Russian federal budget revenues totaled 29,924B rubles (+0.8%), non-oil and gas revenues - 22,425B (+11.3%), oil and gas revenues - 7,498B (-21.4%), primarily due to a decline in the average oil price. Expenditures - 34,113B (+15.4%). The deficit - 4,189B. In 2025, the deficit is expected to be 2.6% of GDP.

28 October, 2025  // In 2026, the average state-funded pension in Russia (65+ years old - men, 60+ - women) will be about 28,000 rubles (350 USD) per month. The average social pension (does not depend on the length of employment and accumulated contributions) - about 17,000 rubles (210 USD). Social pensions are granted 5 years after reaching the general retirement age.

14 October, 2025  // On October 13, 2025, "Rosatom" announced that the first-ever container transit from China to Europe via the Northern Sea Route arrived at the British port of Felixstowe. The ship departed from the port of Ningbo (China) on September 23. The journey through the Russian Arctic took 20 days, almost half the time it would take via traditional southern routes.

15 September, 2025  // In 2024, according to the Ministry of Health of Russia, the leading regions in terms of alcoholism incidence were Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (247.8 people per 100 thousand population), the Mari El Republic (222.6), Jewish Autonomous Oblast (197.5), Kirov Oblast (161.5), Arkhangelsk Oblast (134.2). The lowest numbers were in Leningrad Oblast (13.7), Moscow (15.9), and St. Petersburg (22.6).

10 September, 2025  // Since the beginning of 2025, the grain harvest in Russia has amounted to 100M tons, 7M tons more than on the same date in 2024. About 30M hectares, or 65% of the total area, have been threshed. The average yield increased by 12% - to 33.7 centners per hectare. In total, it is expected to be about 135M tons (88-90M tons of wheat). In 1990, for comparison, the record grain harvest in the RSFSR in the last year of the USSR was 115M tons (55M tons of wheat).

4 September, 2025  // From September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026, China will introduce a 30-day visa-free regime for Russian citizens. It will be possible to enter the country without a visa for the purpose of doing business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit. In this regard, passenger traffic from Russia to China may increase by 30-40%.

Archive

2010: December (32), November (43), October (5),
2011: December (12), November (16), October (24), September (23), August (20), July (23), June (19), May (19), April (20), March (27), February (24), January (29),
2012: December (4), November (5), October (9), September (10), August (9), July (7), June (8), May (6), April (8), March (10), February (7), January (11),
2013: December (2), October (3), September (5), August (1), July (4), June (2), May (2), April (2), March (4), February (5), January (6),
2014: December (2), November (1), October (1), September (1), August (1), July (2), June (1), May (4), February (1),
2015: December (2), November (2), October (2), September (3), August (1), July (3), June (2), May (1), April (1), March (2), February (2), January (1),
2016: December (3), November (1), October (3), September (3), August (1), July (2), June (3), May (2), April (4), March (3), February (2), January (2),
2017: December (2), November (1), October (2), September (4), August (3), July (2), June (2), May (1), April (2), March (2), February (1), January (2),
2018: December (2), November (2), October (3), September (3), August (2), July (4), June (3), May (2), April (3), March (2), February (2), January (2),
2019: December (1), November (2), October (2), September (2), August (2), July (2), June (1), May (3), April (3), March (4), February (2), January (3),
2020: December (3), November (3), October (3), September (1), August (3), July (2), June (1), May (3), April (2), March (2), February (2), January (3),
2021: December (1), November (2), October (1), September (1), August (2), July (1), June (1), May (2), April (2), March (1), February (2), January (2),
2022: December (1), November (1), October (2), September (1), August (1), July (2), May (1), April (1), March (1), January (2),
2023: December (2), November (2), October (1), September (1), August (2), July (3), June (1), May (1), April (1), March (2), February (2), January (2),
2024: December (3), November (1), October (2), September (2), August (1), July (2), June (1), May (2), March (2), February (1), January (3),
2025: December (3), November (1), October (2), September (3), August (1), July (3), June (2), May (2), March (2), February (1), January (4),
2026: January (1),

The comments of our visitors

Paul Manoli
News reporting
Excellent reporting. Interesting content.

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